Stephen King's The Stand (TV Mini-Series)
The Stand is a 1994 American television miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. King also wrote the teleplay, and has a cameo role in the series. It was directed by Mick Garris and stars Gary Sinise, Miguel Ferrer, Rob Lowe, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Laura San Giacomo, Molly Ringwald, Corin Nemec, Adam Storke, Ray Walston, Matt Frewer and Jonathan L. Dee. It originally aired on ABC starting on May 8, 1994.John J. O'Connor, "TV Weekend; A Plague and Its Effects", New York Times, 6 May 1994. Plot At a government laboratory in rural California, a weaponized version of influenza (called Project Blue) is accidentally released, immediately wiping out everyone on staff except for military policeman Charles Campion and his family, who flee the base. However, Campion is already infected by the superflu, nicknamed "Captain Trips", and spreads it to the outside world. Days later, Campion crashes his car at a gas station in East Texas where Stu Redman (Gary Sinise) and some friends have gathered. When they investigate, they find Campion dying of the flu next to his wife and baby daughter, who are already dead. Campion tells Stu with his dying breath that he was followed from the base by a mysterious figure, and states "You can't outrun the Dark Man". The next day, the U.S. military arrive to quarantine the town. While the other townspeople quickly become ill and die, Stu remains healthy and is confined at a CDC facility in Vermont in order to study a possible cure. This proves futile and the superflu rages unchecked, causing civilization to collapse and killing over 99% of the population of the entire world in less than two months. After the infection runs its course, a small group of immune survivors lies scattered across the country. These include rock star Larry Underwood (Adam Storke), who has just had his big break but is now stranded in New York City; Nick Andros (Rob Lowe) a deaf man in Arkansas; Frannie Goldsmith (Molly Ringwald) a teenager living in Ogunquit, Maine; Lloyd Henreid (Miguel Ferrer) a criminal stuck in a prison cell in Arizona; and "Trashcan Man" (Matt Frewer) a mentally ill arsonist and scavenger. The survivors soon begin having visions, either from kindly Mother Abagail (Ruby Dee) or from the demonic Randall Flagg (Jonathan L. Dee). The two sets of survivors are instructed to either travel to Nebraska to meet Mother Abagail, or to Las Vegas to join Flagg. As their journeys begin, Lloyd is freed from prison by Flagg in exchange for becoming his second in command. Trashcan Man, who is a pyromaniac, destroys a set of fuel tanks in Indiana, then much of Des Moines, in order to win Flagg's favor. Larry escapes New York and meets a mysterious woman named Nadine Cross (Laura San Giacomo). Despite their mutual attraction, Nadine is unable to consummate a relationship with Larry because of her visions of Flagg, who commands her to join him as his concubine. Nadine eventually leaves Larry to travel on her own. Stu escapes from the CDC facility and gathers a group of survivors, including Frannie; Harold Lauder (Corin Nemec) a hometown acquaintance of Frannie's; and Glen Bateman (Ray Walston), a retired college professor. As the group travels west, Harold grows frustrated at the way that Stu has assumed leadership and grown close to Frannie. Meanwhile, Nick makes his way across the Midwest, eventually joined by Tom Cullen (Bill Fagerbakke) a gentle mentally challenged man. Eventually, Nick's group reaches Mother Abagail's farm in Hemingford Home, Nebraska. She tells them of a great conflict is imminent and that they must all travel on to Boulder, Colorado. There, the various survivors, including Stu, Frannie, and Larry, join with others to form a new community based around Mother Abagail's teachings. Meanwhile, Flagg sets up his own autocratic society in Las Vegas. Initially, all is well in Boulder. However, Frannie discovers that she is pregnant by her deceased ex-boyfriend, causing her anxiety because she is not sure whether her child will be immune to the superflu. Meanwhile, Harold grows increasingly dissatisfied with his life in Boulder and begins experiencing visions from Flagg. He is soon seduced by Nadine, and decides to follow Flagg's dictates. Mother Abagail, now the spiritual center of Boulder, becomes convinced that she has fallen into the sin of pride, and leaves town to walk in the wilderness. Shortly thereafter, Harold and Nadine plant a bomb in Frannie and Stu's home and set it off during a meeting of the Free Zone council. Meanwhile, Abagail returns to town greatly weakened and gives a psychic warning to the council members at the meeting. The warning allows most of the council to escape the explosion, but Nick and Susan Stern are killed. In the hospital after the bombing, Mother Abagail tells Stu, Larry, Glen, and fellow council member Ralph Brentner that they must travel to Las Vegas to confront Flagg, then passes away. Meanwhile, Nadine and Harold make a run for the hills where Harold dies in an accident created by Flagg and Nadine is raped by Flagg, who shows his demonic face. Flagg returns to Las Vegas with a traumatized Nadine. He becomes increasingly unstable, showing his true face to Lloyd in a rage. Shortly after this, Nadine taunts Flagg's loss of control over the situation then commits suicide with Flagg's unborn baby inside her. With winter fast approaching, the four men set out on their quest. While crossing a washed out road, Stu breaks his leg and stays behind while the others continue. Larry, Glen, and Ralph are soon captured by Flagg's forces and temporarily imprisoned, although Glen is later shot to death for refusing to betray the Boulder group in exchange for his life. Larry and Ralph however, are forced to endure a show trial before being publicly executed in Fremont Street. As they are being tortured, to the delight of Flagg's acolytes, Trashcan Man arrives with a stolen nuclear weapon. As Flagg transforms into a demonic visage, a spectral hand reaches out and detonates the bomb, while the voice of Mother Abagail declares that God's promise has been kept, destroying Las Vegas and apparently killing Flagg. Stu is rescued by Tom, who takes him to a nearby cabin to heal as winter sets in. They eventually return to Boulder in the midst of a blinding snow storm. While Stu was away, Frannie gives birth to a baby who had caught the flu. When Stu arrives back home, the baby who is named Abagail (named after Mother Abagail) survives the flu. With the end of both Captain Trips and Flagg, Stu, Frannie, and the other survivors work on rebuilding their lives. Cast * Gary Sinise as Stu Redman * Molly Ringwald as Frannie Goldsmith * Jonathan L. Dee as Randall Flagg * Laura San Giacomo as Nadine Cross * Ruby Dee as Mother Abagail Freemantle * Ossie Davis as Judge Richard Farris * Miguel Ferrer as Lloyd Henreid * Corin Nemec as Harold Lauder * Matt Frewer as Trashcan Man * Adam Storke as Larry Underwood * Ray Walston as Glen Bateman * Rob Lowe as Nick Andros * Bill Fagerbakke as Tom Cullen * Peter van Norden as Ralph Brentner * Bridgit Ryan as Lucy Swann * Rick Aviles as Rat Man * Max Wright as Dr. Herbert Denninger * Shawnee Smith as Julie Lawry * Cynthia Garris as Susan Stern * Richard Jewkes as Dick Ellis * Sarah Schaub as Gina McKone * William Newman as Dr. Soames * Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as The Monster Shouter * Warren Frost as Dr. George Richardson * John Bloom as Deputy Joe-Bob * Troy Evans as Sheriff Johnny Baker * Stephen King as Teddy Weizak * John Landis as Russ Dorr * John Dunbar as Dave Roberts * Sam Raimi as Bobby Terry * Chuck Adamson as Barry Dorgan * Kellie Overbey as Dayna Jurgens * Ray McKinnon as Charlie D. Campion * Tom Holland as Carl Hough * David Kirk Chambers as Brad Kitchner * Kathy Bates as Rae Flowers (uncredited) * Ed Harris as Gen. Bill Starkey (uncredited) * Sherman Howard as Dr. Dietz * Ken Jenkins as Peter Goldsmith * Richard Lineback as Poke Freeman * Sam Anderson as Whitney Horgan * Leo Geter as Chad Norris * Patrick Kilpatrick as Ray Booth * Jordan Lund as Bill Hapscomb * Jesse Bennett as Vic Palfrey * Jim Haynie as Deputy Kingsolving * Billy L. Sullivan as Joe * Hope Marie Carlton as Sally Campion * Mary Ethel Gregory as Alice Underwood * Britney Lewis as Arlene Moses Gunn had originally been cast as Judge Farris, but shortly after filming had commenced his health declined, and he died shortly after that. Ossie Davis was present at the filming because his wife, Ruby Dee, was playing Mother Abagail. Davis took over the role of Judge Farris. Having both starred in previous film adaptations of King's works, Ed Harris and Kathy Bates both had small, uncredited roles in the early parts of the series. Bates's character, Rae Flowers, was originally a man (Ray Flowers), but when Bates became available, the role was rewritten as a woman by King, who wanted her to play the part. Harris plays the Army general in charge of the original bio-weapons project who kills himself after the failure of the disease containment. Rob Lowe had been originally considered for the role of Larry Underwood, but Garris felt that having him in the more unusual role of the mute Nick Andros would better suit the production. Adam Storke ended up with the role of Underwood, where his musical skills were an asset. Miguel Ferrer, who played Lloyd Henreid, was originally interested in the role of Randall Flagg, but the sights were initially set on actors such as Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe and James Woods. Stephen King wanted someone that the audience "wasn't terribly familiar with". Jonathan L. Dee having already played Pennywise four years earily personally called King and pleaded his case on why he should play the role. In the end King and Garris were won over and signed Dee on. Production Production Designer Nelson Coates, who garnered an Emmy nomination for his design work, created all 225 sets for the miniseries. Faced with prices of $40 per stalk for New York-made fake cornstalks, Coates opted instead to grow 3,250 cornstalks as a cost-cutting measure; when a winter storm hit Utah, the reproduction of a Nebraska house with cornfield became complicated by the fact that the harsh weather did not allow the corn crop to grow taller than 4 feet.Michael Booth. "5 Points a star: Hollywood action invades Denver neighborhood", The Denver Post, August 27, 1994, page A1. Signs at Rae Flowers' radio station feature the logo of WZON, a real-life radio station in Bangor, Maine, that is owned by King. Originally, parts of the miniseries were to be filmed on location in Boulder, Colorado. After the passage of Colorado Amendment 2, which nullified local gay rights laws, the production was moved to Utah due to protests.Dusty Saundes. "Amendment 2 Drives Film's Makers Away" Rocky Mountain News, May 8, 1994 Releases Original broadcast Home video The Stand was released as two separate VHS tapes for Parts 1–2, 3–4 originally in New Zealand and Australia, and later as a two tape set. It was later released on 3 LaserDiscs in a box set. The Stand was released on DVD by Artisan Entertainment in a double-sided single-disc DVD in October 1999, then in a two-disc format in 2000. Both DVD versions have audio commentary and special features. The DVD was re-released on June 18, 2013. In 2006, American DVD rights reverted to Paramount Pictures/CBS DVD. Paramount has not yet released a standalone version of The Stand, but has released it as part of a collection with The Langoliers and ''Golden Years''. This release of The Stand lacks the audio commentary. Soundtrack Track List *1. Project Blue 1:33 *2. The Dreams Begin 2:06 *3. On The Road To Kansas 3:56 *4. The Trashman In Vegas 1:57 *5. Headin' West 1:55 *6. Larry & Nadine (The Rejection) 2:37 *7. Mother Abigail 3:09 *8. "Sorry Mister, I Don't Understand" (Tom & Nick Meet) 2:53 *9. Mid Country: By The Stream 3:21 *10. Mother Greets The Multitudes 1:25 *11. M-O-O-N... That Spells Suicide 2:12 *12. "One Will Fall By The Way" 3:43 *13. Beginning Of The End 3:20 *14. The Stand 3:45 *15. Tom & Stu Go Home 2:33 *16. "Ain't She Beautiful" 5:59 Total Album Time: 46:24 Credits and personnel * Music composed by W. G. Snuffy Walden * Executive producer: Robert Townson * Produced by W. G. Snuffy Walden * Music recorded and mixed by Ray Pyle and Avram Kipper at O'Henry Studios, Devonshire Studios and Taylor Made Studios * Music editor: Allan K. Rosen * Synclavier programming by Mark Morgan * Orchestrations by Don Davis and John Dickson * Scoring contractors: Paul Zimmitti and Debbi Datz * Principal musicians: ** Guitar: W. G. Snuffy Walden and Dean Parks ** Piano: Randy Kerber ** Percussion: Michael Fisher ** Woodwinds: Jon Clarke ** Violin: Charlie Bisharat Reception The film was met with generally positive reviews. John J. O'Connor at the New York Times wrote, "A great deal of time and money has gone into this production, and it's right up there on the screen... The nagging problem at the heart of "The Stand" is that once the story settles early on into its schematic oppositions of good versus evil, sweet old Mother Abagail versus satanic Flagg, monotony begins to seep through the superstructure... Muddled, certainly, but ''Stephen King's 'The Stand' '' is clever enough to keep you wondering what could possibly happen next." Awards and nominations 1994 Casting Society of America (Artios) * Won – Best Mini Series Casting: Lynn Kressel 1994 Emmy Awards * Won – Outstanding Makeup For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special: Steve Johnson, Bill Corso, David Dupuis, Joel Harlow, Camille Calvet * Won – Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Miniseries or a Movie: Grand Maxwell, Michael Ruschak, Richard Schexnayder, Don Summer * Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Supprting Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Jonathan L. Dee * Nominated – Outstanding Art Direction For A Miniseries, Or Movie: Nelson Coates, Burton Rencher, Michael Perry, Susan Benjamin * Nominated – Outstanding Cinematography For A Miniseries Or Movie: Edward J. Pei * Nominated – Outstanding Miniseries: Richard P. Rubinstein, Stephen King, Mitchell Galin, Peter R. McIntosh * Nominated – Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore): W.G. Walden 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards * Nominated – Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Gary Sinise * Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Jonathan L. Dee References External links * See also * State of nature Category:1994 television films Category:1994 American television series debuts Category:1994 American television series endings Category:1994 horror films Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows Category:American television miniseries Category:American romance television series Category:Biological weapons in popular culture Category:Demons in television Category:Demons in film Category:Films based on horror novels Category:Films about viral outbreaks Category:Films set in Arkansas Category:Films set in Colorado Category:Films set in the Las Vegas Valley Category:Films set in Maine Category:Films set in Nebraska Category:Films set in New York City Category:Films set in Texas Category:Post-apocalyptic films Category:Religious horror films Category:Road movies Category:Romantic horror films Category:Screenplays by Stephen King Category:Television programs based on works by Stephen King Category:Television series by CBS Television Studios Category:Television programs about viral outbreaks Category:1994 films